Resolution
by ILoveLacey
Summary: After winning the New Years resolution bet, Lacey discovers new feelings based on a misspoken sentence. Lacey/Karen pairing, no smut. This is based on the Season 6 episode "American Resolution".


_Part One_

"We had a three-way."

Those words bounced around in Lacey's brain for quite a while. She had won her scheming victory, which normally would fill her with pride, but she just couldn't bring herself to concentrate on that now. That one misspoken, misconstrued sentence was occupying Lacey's mind, and nothing could get it out.

Of course, Wanda had meant "three-way tie", as she had corrected herself immediately afterward, but it opened a floodgate of visuals for Lacey, some good and some bad. Certainly picturing Hank in such a situation was repulsive. Lacey gagged as she recalled Hank's kiss when he wanted to pretend to be her boyfriend in front of her ex-fiancé. Wanda? Well, Wanda seemed almost non-sexual in Lacey's eyes. Unflattering tops and jeans that were too big were all that came to mind. Lacey's thoughts then turned to the hypothetical third participant. Karen…

Could Lacey think of Karen in that way? Sure, Karen was attractive; long blond hair, great facial features, tone and fit. She even looked good in her cop uniform. But to actually daydream about Karen… Lacey tried to pull herself out of her current line of thinking. Surely it was ludicrous to continue. Still, Lacey's head drifted to Karen's words from several years before; pajama party, tickle fight…

No! No! Lacey told herself she needed to focus on what was important, gloating about her win in the New Year's Resolution battle. She had successfully proven she could out-scheme them all, despite their insistence to the contrary. This was a big win for Lacey, and she needed to celebrate. She began brainstorming ideas as she poured some coffee behind the counter, when suddenly a voice jolted her into the real world.

"Hey Lacey," spoke Karen in her usual friendliness. Despite her somewhat hard demeanor as a police officer, Karen was usually pretty easy-going. After what had just transpired in Lacey's head, this greeting caught her a little off guard.

"You okay?" Karen continued. "You look like you've seen a ghost… or Oscar in his boxer shorts. Is there a problem?"

"Oh, no" Lacey lied while only sort of looking Karen in the eye. If Karen could read Lacey's thoughts, well that would be a conversation that would be mortifying. "Just, uh, um, thinking of another scheme to pull." Lacey's words fumbled out of her mouth as she stammered to regain her composure.

"That's actually why I stopped back in here," Karen asserted. "I wanted to compliment you on the way you won that bet. If Hank and Wanda knew I was telling you this, they'd deem me a traitor. But that was very clever, pitting us all against each other."

"Well, you know me, overly competitive" Lacey replied. A girlish giggle escaped her breath before she had the chance to swallow it back down. She saw just the slightest hint of a smirk on Karen's face. "Oh God, what does she know?" Lacey thought. She immediately realized she was being paranoid. Karen couldn't possibly know anything. And Lacey was in control of any non-verbal cues, wasn't she?

"So since I'm here," Karen continued, "could I uh, get a coffee?" Ah, a changing of the subject! This was a relief for Lacey. She popped out a quick "Sure!" and grabbed a mug from behind her. If there was anything that could distract Lacey, it was getting lost in the monotony of her job. After pouring the cup, she went about attending to the other patrons, and for the time being almost completely forgot her thoughts about Karen… Almost.

 _Part Two_

The following day, Lacey was daydreaming at the Ruby when Brent plopped down on his usual stool. She prepared his customary coffee and awaited his inevitable menu choice.

"Two chili cheese dogs, please" came the order, to no one's surprise. This sense of familiarity relaxed Lacey, and she jumped straight into the current events of Dog River.

"I can't believe you butchered our national anthem, Brent" Lacey began accusingly. "I would expect something like that from Hank, but you should know better."

"Hey, I think I've gotten enough ridicule from the rest of the town" Brent responded. "I don't need you piling it on."

"You got what you deserve" Lacey continued. "Trying to confuse your elderly father like that. I'll pile on as much as I'd like."

"Well, I don't like the piling; can't stand the piling; unless you mean the chili and cheese, in which case, pile away". Brent's mind went where it always went, back to his food. More familiarity was comforting to Lacey. She didn't want her mind going elsewhere, like the day before.

"Don't worry," Lacey reassured, "Josh knows to always give you more toppings than is medically acceptable." She put the order in and relaxed for a bit. Picturing hot dogs smothered in calorie-laden glop was probably the _least_ sexy thing she could think of. Lacey refilled Brent's already-downed coffee cup and prepared to hear what he would yammer about next. However, she was _not_ prepared for what he actually said.

"By the way, I ran into Karen this morning" Brent began. That name rang inside Lacey's head as it had the day before. She braced herself for however this conversation might continue. "She told me something quite intriguing about a chat you two had" the gas station owner continued. Lacey could feel her cheeks burning red and wondered how obvious it came across to everyone else. She cleared her throat.

"Oh?" was all Lacey could muster from her lips. Her hands were gripping the counter so hard, she was worried she might crack the Formica.

"Yeah," Brent responded, "she said you might have another scheme in the works. If so, I want in. Wait, who are you schemin' against? Ah, what am I saying? I want in regardless." Lacey was relieved. This had nothing to do with what she _thought_ they knew. This was something else entirely. However, relief quickly turned to panic. Lacey didn't actually _have_ a scheme in mind. That had been a deflection! How could she bring Brent into a plot that didn't exist?

"It's uh, it's uh, it's in the preliminary stages right now" Lacey stammered. "I haven't got that far yet, more of a general antic at this stage."

"A common prank? A vague caper? Nonspecific shenanigans?" Brent added, smirking.

"Again with the synonyms!" Lacey groaned as she threw up her hands. She stepped away, pretending Brent had annoyed her enough to drive her off. In reality, Lacey just wanted to give him time to forget the whole thing. If Brent was talented at anything, it was forgetting entire conversations he had with her. Lacey stepped back into the kitchen to collect her thoughts. During her absence, Davis entered the Ruby to confront Brent.

"Brent, you've gotta move your car from in front of the hydrant" the DRPD's top-ranked officer warned. "Your diplomatic immunity expired years ago."

"But I didn't drive in today," Brent thought out loud. "I got a ride with my folks because I loaned my car to… _Hank!"_ __He ran outside to remedy the situation, as well as find his best friend and smack him in the back of the head. Lacey re-emerged from the kitchen to find Davis standing all by his lonesome. Her mouth then asked a question her head hadn't even fully processed.

"Patrolling on your own today?" Her voice cracked slightly as she attempted to hide any ulterior motive in the inquiry. Lacey hoped her eyes told a story of curious indifference.

"Yeah, Karen asked for the day off" was Davis' response. "And since I can't say no _every_ time, I granted her this one request. So she's off somewhere enjoying time in plain clothes." This was a sensory overload for Lacey. She knew that if Karen was not in her uniform, that meant she had… _her hair down_. Making some excuse about checking on the grease levels, Lacey dove back into the kitchen to give herself time to process this new information. She felt hot again, but it had nothing to do with embarrassment this time. She fanned herself with her apron and attempted to regain control of her faculties. _Why was this all happening so suddenly?_ Part of Lacey hoped she never ran into Karen again, which of course would be impossible in Dog River. But another part, one deep down that Lacey didn't even know existed, needed to see Karen _right now._ Which side would she listen to?

 _Part Three_

It didn't take long for Lacey to make her choice. Putting on her best game face, she made her way back into the main café area and noticed Davis was still there. Lacey straightened up and used her best nonchalant voice.

"Hey Davis, uh, did Karen tell you what she was gonna do today?" she uttered, pretending to be only half-interested.

"Why?" Davis asked. "Do you need to see her?"

"No, I don't _need_ to see her" Lacey laughed off defensively. "Why would you think that?"

"I dunno," Davis replied, "I thought maybe she owed you on a lunch bill or something."

"Oh," Lacey breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe Davis didn't know anything after all.

"Anyway," Davis continued, "I'm not sure where she is. She mentioned something about needing old sewing supplies, but that's all I know." Lacey figured there was only one place in Dog River to find old sewing supplies: the Leroy house. She gave Josh instructions for minding the restaurant and took off in her car.

Pulling up in front of Oscar and Emma's place, Lacey took a brief moment to check herself out in the rearview mirror. She didn't see Karen's car, but this being Dog River, she could have easily walked. As Lacey walked up the driveway, she noticed her hands were shaking. _Am I really this nervous about seeing Karen?_ she thought. She rang the doorbell and took a deep breath. Emma answered the door with her usual kindness.

"Hey Lacey," Emma spoke, "what can I do for you?" Before Lacey could respond, she heard a voice rise from the living room.

"If that's Brent, tell him I'm not giving him a ride home from work, too!" shouted Oscar. "I'm done coddling that kid!"

"If Brent walked over here, why would he need a ride from work?" Emma pointed out.

"I don't know, uh, he's _your_ son. _You_ figure him out!" Oscar called back.

"Well, for your information, Mr. Loving Father," Emma quipped, "it's Lacey at the door." Lacey stared awkwardly at the two of them for a second, then spoke up.

"…Anyway, I was wondering if Karen was here. I uh, I heard she was looking for sewing stuff."

"Oh, she was here," Emma acknowledged, "but she left a bit ago. Do you guys need to have a chat?"

"Um, I, uh," Lacey stuttered, "…she owes me on a lunch, that's all." Lacey decided to go with Davis's story. It seemed plausible enough. She began wondering why everyone was so curious about her and Karen. "Any idea where she went?"

"I think she said she needed to pick something up from the Foo Mart" Emma noted. "So I'd check…" Emma paused as she realized Lacey was already on the way back to the car. Lacey hollered a quick "thank you" before speeding off again. Emma rolled her eyes and closed the door.

Lacey barely blinked as she pulled into a Foo Mart parking spot. As she opened the glass entrance door to the store, she noticed that in addition to her hands shaking, she was now sweating just a bit from her brow. She took a quick wipe using the apron she had forgotten to remove and began surveying the store aisles. Her heart sunk; still no Karen. Lacey did spot Hank at the small automotive section and decided to interrogate him.

"Hi Hank, what's up?" she asked.

"Oh hey Lacey," came Hank's reply. "My truck's busted again, and since Brent chased me out of his store for some reason, I gotta figure somethin' out here. How about you?"

"I was actually looking for Karen" Lacey stated. "I heard she was stopping by here."

"Oh yeah, ya just missed her," Hank reported. "She looked like she was in a hurry, but I think I overheard her say somethin' about needin' gas. I'd ask you for a ride so I could come with ya, but I should probably steer clear of Brent for a while."

"Plus I would have said no anyway," Lacey retorted, "but thanks for the info." She began to hurry away again when she heard Hank call out from behind her.

"Hey, you and Karen got somethin' goin' on or somethin'?" he queried. Lacey took a defensive stance with her hands on her hips.

"And what do you mean by that?" she fretted.

"I just was wonderin' if you guys were tryin' to scheme together, put one over on me and Wanda. She's takin' a day off and runnin' around town, while you're acting awfully suspicious." Lacey scoffed at that.

"No, that's uh, that's ridiculous. If we were scheming on you, you wouldn't be able to catch on." Content with her answer, she rushed back to her car to head to Corner Gas.

Lacey could feel her hands getting clammy on the steering wheel as she neared her destination. Surveying the pumps, she quickly figured out she had missed Karen yet again. She decided to head inside the gas station to see if she could garner anything else. Wanda was at the till, trying her hardest to _not_ do any work.

"Ah, Lacey! Glad you're here," Wanda interjected. "I feel bad that I got so angry at you on the New Year's wager. I realized that only someone as clever as I am could appreciate your clandestine machinations."

"My what?" Lacey questioned.

"Your secret plan," Wanda replied flatly. "You got us good and I want to apologize for my behavior. With that said, all of us who were part of the bet are getting together at the bar tonight. You should come."

"All of us?" Lacey inquired. She knew that meant Karen as well. Lacey had been chasing Karen all day, but now she knew her exact evening plans.

"Uh, I'd love to come, sure!" Lacey declared. She cleared her throat. "And thanks for the apology. It's very big of you. You _were_ bested, after all." Lacey had to gloat a little.

"So yeah, you'll be able to see Karen there," Wanda suddenly added. Lacey's gloating face quickly disappeared.

"Uh, what makes you think I need to see Karen?" Lacey inquired.

"'Cause Davis said you were looking for her" Wanda commented.

"Oh, right, the bill." Lacey saw no reason not to stick with the story. She was quite nervous, but she knew she _definitely_ had to go to the bar that night. There was nothing stopping her from seeing Karen this time.

 _Part Four_

Lacey stepped into the bar and took in the atmosphere. She had painstakingly chosen her outfit; a smart, form-fitting sleeveless top and hip-hugging jeans with a wide green belt, her hair slightly wavy and flowing down over her bare shoulders. It was the perfect combination of cute and casual. She was determined to play it as cool as possible during the evening soiree. She wanted to approach Karen slyly, and _certainly_ without giving anything away to the others. The last thing Lacey wanted was for her thoughts and feelings to be out in the open. She felt sure of herself for a moment, but all confidence flew out the window when she spotted Karen sitting at the bar. Karen's hair was down all right, as Lacey had suspected earlier, and she somehow looked even better than Lacey had pictured in her head. The moment of truth was at hand, and Lacey mustered up all the courage she could build and headed in Karen's direction.

"Hey Karen, I…" was all Lacey could get out before she was suddenly interrupted.

"Oh good, Lacey's here," came Brent's voice from behind them. "We can get this evening started."

"Wait, you're part of this, too?" inquired Lacey.

"Well yeah," Brent added. "Everybody's here. You don't really have to give this town much of an excuse to drink, so when Wanda told me there was a get-together, I spread the word." Lacey quickly scanned the bar. She was so focused on Karen when she entered that she failed to noticed how full it was. Hank, Wanda, Brent, Davis, Oscar, Emma, Fitzy, Wes, and several others were gathered, and suddenly they were all focused on _her._ On her _standing next to Karen_. Lacey's heart began beating out of her chest. She felt her whole body shaking.

"Geez Lacey, are you okay?" Brent asked. "You look flustered."

"I, uh, I need to…" Lacey began. "Uh Karen, could I speak to you _in private_?"

"I knew it!" Hank's voice came from across the room. "You two _are_ scheming somethin'. Somethin' big!"

"No we're not." Karen uttered, confused. She glanced at Lacey, whose cheeks were scorching a conspicuous red color. "Were you trying to scheme against me? _Again?_ "

"Nah, I know what it is," Oscar piped in. "I've seen that look. She thinks someone has a crush on her, like always."

"Well it's not me this time," Davis remarked. "Though judging by her look, it's definitely someone in this room."

"Thanks for narrowing it down, Detective," Emma chirped. "Everyone in town is here."

"Come on," Hank inferred. "She wants to talk to Karen. If there's no scheme, maybe she thinks Karen has a crush on her." Everyone at the bar tilted their head at this statement. Wanda examined Lacey's eyes closely, though she was attempting to shield them.

"I got it!" Wanda popped out. "Lacey doesn't think Karen has a crush on her. _Lacey_ has a crush on _Karen_!" At this utterance, Lacey buried her face in her hands. Her cheeks were amazingly an even _deeper_ shade of red than before. Wanda began laughing and Lacey stared at her.

"Man, I was going to pull a prank on you tonight to get you back, but this is _way_ more humiliating!" Wanda raised her hands in victory. "I am the scheming queen!"

"But you didn't actually do anything" Brent observed. "You didn't really win. Right, Lacey?... Lacey?" There was no response. This was it, Lacey's ultimate embarrassment. All was revealed, everyone was there, and she had nowhere to hide. All she could do was face the music. She glanced over at Karen and gave her a look that told the truth. After what seemed like an eternity, Lacey finally spoke up.

"Okay, okay! As much as I hate to admit this, I uh, I may have been… _feeling_ some things about Karen. But I never, uh, fully understood those feelings. I'm still working things out, all right? But it's out in the open and now I feel like a complete fool. Can we _please_ just focus on something else now?" The crowd stared blankly for a second, then went back to drinking their beer. Miraculously for Lacey, the moment seemed over. Oscar and Emma argued, Davis and Hank began debating _Star Wars_ , and Wanda was telling Brent her latest excuse for skipping work the next day. Lacey sighed and breathed easy. Suddenly, she felt a presence slide a little closer to her at the bar, and a hand laid to rest on her shoulder. Lacey turned to find Karen looking face-to-face with her.

"Still working things out, huh?" Karen wondered aloud. She grinned and raised her eyebrows. "How about we work things out together?" Lacey cracked a smile of her own. For the first time in a while, she felt comfortable, and her heart was no longer beating rapidly. Instead, it felt… _warm._

"My mind's been running a bit, too," Karen added. "Ever since Wanda accidentally mentioned a three-way…"


End file.
